Learning Ukulele with Curt
Basics the Beyond with Curt Sheller Your "TMI", "Total Music Information" Site…
Learning Ukulele with Curt
Fingernail Care
This video in the **Learning with Legends - William Kanengiser** provides one of the best and clearest explanations of the conte

Category: Fingerstyle Instrument: Ukulele Subjects(s): Scales • Technique • Video • Classical • Nail • Care

Fingernail Care

If there is one area of discussion that players recommendations are all over the board on - it's fingernails for classical guitar. The technique and subject for classica guitar is appropriate for ukulele as well. The ukulele is almost a mini classical guitar missing two strings.

William Kanengiser Video

No need to reinvent the wheel. This video in the Learning with Legends - William Kanengiser provides one of the best and clearest explanations of the contentious topic of fingernail care as it applies to technique.

More...

A book that I remember that had a good explanation of different nails and their care is **Pumping Nylon: The Classical Guitarist's Technique Handbook** by Scott Tennan.

Learning with Legends - William Kanengiser

Nail Tips • Curt Sheller

With fingerstyle and fingerpicking a big part of playing the ukulele, keeping your right hand fingernails in top shape can be tough at time. Here are a few tips to protect your nails and keep out of trouble.

  • Keep nails short. DO NOT clip you nail on the plucking hand.
  • Organize your pockets for potential nail damaging objects suck as keys.
  • Learn to reach and use your left hand more. You're left hand is already pretty developed from playing. Door knobs are what get me the most and wearing bi-focal glasses are what get me the most.
  • For gigging musician loading gear ina and out — Wear gloves.

Sign-IN — it's FREE — to view, un-blur any additional content for this lesson.

End of Lesson - Thanks, Hope You Enjoyed It!

Related Lessons, Videos, Lesson Series, Songs, Books & Reference Charts, Resources & Assets, Workshops are below.

Related Lessons
Related Lessons for Fingernail Care.
UL112b
Fingerpicking for Ukulele - Getting Started

There are two distinctly different Fingerpicking Styles. The Classical (pima) and "Alternating Thumb Style" commonly called "Travis Picking" in the guitar world and "Scruggs Style" in the banjo world. The focus of this series is on the classical (pima) style.

Related Lesson Series
Related Lessons Series for Fingernail Care.
Alternating Thumb Fingerpicking on Ukulele

This is the common alternating thumb and two finger strumming style utilizing the thumb, index and middle fingers. Commonly called β€œTravis” picking in the guitar world. This series of lessons explores and adapts this style to ukulele. Travis Picking is a finger-style made famous by Merle Travis and Chet Atkins. This style is commonly played on steel string acoustic guitars.

Ukulele Fingering Gymnastics - Developing Technique

An introduction to proper hand placement for left hand technique on ukulele and a wide variety of finger drills to develop your technique.

Related Songs
Related Songs for Fingernail Care.
ANYSONG
Any Song Will Do

This is not really a song, but simply saying that for the purposes of a lot of the lessons and lesson series on this site ANY song will do for exploring the lesson's material and concepts presented in the lesson.

Related Books & Charts
Related Books for Fingernail Care.
UKEFP01
Fingerpicking for Ukulele - Alternating Thumb Style

Fingerpicking for Ukulele - Alternating Thumb Style, 2nd Edition is a new expanded edition that focuses on the alternating thumb fingerpicking style through a series of graduated lessons-chapters incorporating your index and middle fingers with the alternating thumb.

A Selection of Books & Reference Charts that are recommended for creating a solid foundation with your chosen instrument and music in general.
These are books & reference charts that apply to a majority of all lessons on LearningUkulele.com / Learning Ukulele with Curt.
Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard – C Tuning

Finally, learn the names of the notes of the fingerboard.

Six Secrets of the Ukulele Fingerboard – C Tuning

Learn the six fingering principles to navigating the ukulele fingerboard. Fingering is one of the most universal topics.

Harmonic Analysis for Scale Selection and Chord Substitution

Harmonic Analysis is the understanding of the functional sequence of chords. It is the process used to analyze the harmonic structure of a progression, song or composition.

Ukulele – Reading Music Series – Primer

Learn to read single note melodies in the first/open position is a lot easier than you might think.

Daily Practice Material for the Contemporary Ukulele

An organized collection of daily practice and reference material for the contemporary ukulele player for developing the vocabulary and knowledge necessary for single note playing.

Checkout the Books for additional Handy, Dandy Reference Charts.

Reference Charts

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for C Tuning, Low or High G - G C E A

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for C Tuning, Low or High G – G C E A

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for G Tuning, Low or High A – D G B E

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for G Tuning, Low or High A – D G B E

Circle of Fourths and Fifths – ANSI A & A4 sizes

A handy reference chart of all 15 major and relative minor key signatures. US Letter 8.5 x 11 sized (ANSI-A), A4

Checkout the Books for additional Handy, Dandy Reference Charts.

πŸš€ 🚧 End of Site Content 🚧 🌍
NOTE: PICS ARE FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. FAIR USE NOTICE:: This site contains images of which have not been pre-authorized. This material is made available for the purpose of analysis, teaching, comment and critique. The 'fair use' of such material is provided for under U.S. Copyright Law. In accordance with U.S. Code Title 17, Section 107, material on this site (along with credit and attributions to original sources) is viewable for educational and intellectual purposes - (frwebgate.access.gpo.gov). If you are interested in using any copyrighted material from this site for any reason that goes beyond 'fair use,' you must first obtain permission from the copyright owner.
On the web since 1992 and a Mac since 1987 (Mac II) • Serving up Ukulele content since 2003 ( 22 years ago ) • Lets Kanikapila!!! v12.13.0 (8.2.23) • And, since Sept 2020, happily on Pop!_OS Linux and a System76 Thelio. Half the cost of the iMac and a real treat to use. I use it for ALL development work. Only wish the Affinity Suite of apps by serif where available on Linux (and I do know you can run them in Wine with a few hacks).
This sit has ben profesionaly red. awl tpyos aree free and no aditonal chrge • I'm blaming it on “jazz” fingers. “Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Site developed, coded, and maintained by Curt Sheller, Curt Sheller Publications and hosted on DigitalOcean, eCommerce using stripe, managed using Laravel Forge, and analytics (which we DO NOT share) by Plausible.
Made with by Curt Sheller for LearningUkulele.com / Learning Ukulele with Curt and the ukulele community • Β© 1992 - 2026 Curt Sheller